Nakama
by AJ Van Writ-101
Summary: They were close; closer than "normal" friends. The power of the spirits known as Ayakashi and Youkai is enough to bind three lives together. And these three are willing victims. {Rated T for suggestive allegations in the first chapter; no pairings}
1. Chapter 1: Outsiders

**Disclaimer:** I, AJ, am neither an exorcist, nor the master of the shiki known as Natsume Yuujinchou.

**Note:** this is a short, simple, fluffy, four-part story exploring the _platonic_ intimacy of Natsume Takashi, Tanuma Kaname, and Taki Touru from each of their perspectives and an outside perspective (the collective student body).

* * *

When Natsume was asked, he would get red and flustered and let out a string of stuttered, high-pitched denials. When Taki was asked, she would break out into hysterical giggles, between which could be heard snippets like 'us three?' and 'could you imagine?'. When Tanuma was asked, he would get such a look on his face that it would make the person feel stupid just for having the thought and flatly say 'no'.

And so for a short while everyone would go back to their own business. However it wouldn't take long for everyone to be reminded why they asked in the first place. After all, the trio honestly seemed romantically involved.

It wasn't unusual that duos and trios of friends would spend so much time together in and out of school. It also wasn't weird the amount of time spent at each other's houses. After all, no one was accusing Kitamoto and Nishimura of dating. But there was more to this particular trio than simply hanging out.

It was the long, weighted looks they would give each other, like they were the only people in the world. It was the way they would pale and cling to each other desperately if one of them so much as looked too tired, or – kami forbid – had a headache. There were always little touches; passes of the fingers across hair, face, shoulder, arm, or hand. If any were in proximity with another, they were almost always standing much, much closer than casual conversation accounted for.

No one could count the number of times Taki had brought little presents for both of the boys, nor how many times she had been seen taking a quick nap during lunch on the shoulder of either one. Tanuma had been caught a few times either laying with his head in Taki's lap or with his face pressed into the crook of Natsume's neck. The blond boy himself had been seen carrying Taki back to her home alone, and everyone saw the too-long-to-be-appropriate hug that the boys shared when Natsume returned to school after a few days absence.

That just left the question of why the three of them refused to admit to their relationship. One of the more believable theories was that all three of them were too shy to admit their feelings for the other two, fearing rejection, and so they were all just dancing around the issue without resolving it. Another possibility was that they were hiding it because they knew their families would not approve. One of the more ludicrous options ascribed their behavior to the fact that all three were part of a cult that did not allow romance, yet they persisted in their forbidden love anyway. And Ritsujima would swear up, down, and sideways that it was all an elaborate ruse to distract from the real relationship between Natsume and Natori Shuuichi.

Of course, no one had any real answers. The one time someone had suggested stalking the trio to find out the truth, Nishimura had found out. Despite being energetic, excitable, and a bit of an idiot, no one could deny that Nishimura was one of the most loyal friends a person could have defending them. The moment the boy had heard about the plan to invade Natsume's privacy he had loudly and publicly declared, 'Natsume's business is his own, and if he wants to pretend that he isn't in a threesome with Tanuma and Taki then you are going to respect that!' Natsume had spent the entire rest of the week red in the face and unable to look Nishimura in the eye. Misunderstanding the reason for the embarrassment, Nishimura made sure to frequently reassure Natsume that he wasn't mad about him stealing Taki's affection, but he still reserved all rights as a friend to tease him to death about it.


	2. Chapter 2: Tanuma Kaname

Kaname sighed as a dull sting hit the area behind his eyes again. He had gotten better after spending so much time with Natsume and the numerous Ayakashi that seemed to always be around the other boy. However he was still susceptible to headaches when in the presence of an unfamiliar being that was above mid-tier in spiritual power. Considering her apparent hate for humans in general – and men in particular – Natsume's friend Hinoe certainly fit the bill as 'unfamiliar'.

The blond boy had offered to send her away, and talk to her later, but both Kaname and Taki spoke against it. It was unusual for Hinoe to show up when there were any other humans around, much less at school, and – according to Natsume – she had important information on some unusual goings-on in Yatsuhara. So, instead of dismissing the Ayakashi, Kaname laid his head down in Taki's lap for some amount of relief while Natsume talked with Hinoe.

Taki's hand was tangled in Kaname's hair, but she had stopped the soothing massage a little while ago. Cracking his eyes open, Kaname smiled as he saw that the girl had fallen asleep with her head on Natsume's shoulder. She had admittedly been up late last night researching protective charms – for Natsume – and methods to improve a person's sight – for Kaname – though there were far fewer of the latter. Hopefully she wouldn't go off experimenting on her own again; Kaname had just about had a heart attack when he heard that Natsume had found her passed out in the woods from exhaustion last month. Compared to her passion and dedication, he almost felt like he was doing nothing to help either her or their mutual best friend.

Kaname lifted his gaze a bit more to take in the sight of Natsume staring at 'nothing' with uncharacteristic seriousness and nodding along to an unheard conversation. The other boy was still a little pale from his most recent unfriendly encounter with a Youkai. This one had been strong enough to lay him up in bed with a high fever for four days; two of those days had been due to possession, and the other two from spiritual exhaustion. Kaname prayed to anything that might be listening that whatever was happening in Yatsuhara was not near as dangerous. He didn't think his heart could take another fright such as that one. Perhaps he could take a convenient walk in the general area of the incidents, then be ready to help what little he could when he inevitably bumped into Natsume.

Despite knowing what would happen, Kaname lifted his gaze a bit more, trying desperately to focus on the spot he guessed Hinoe was standing. The increased throbbing of his skull told him that he was most likely correct in his estimation. Yet, no matter how hard he squinted, he could not see the female Ayakashi, only a few wisps of smoke dissipating in the gentle spring breeze.

Natsume suddenly turned his eyes onto Kaname. "Tanuma," he quietly scolded, "you're going to make yourself ill. Also, Hinoe doesn't like, uh, 'overly inquisitive men' as she puts it."

"Sorry," Kaname said, closing his eyes and choosing not to mention how nauseous he felt after the effort. "I apologize for my rude behavior, Hinoe-san. Natsume has told us of you, but I don't believe we've been introduced before. Thank you for looking after Natsume while Taki and I are unable to."

Kaname opened his eyes to see Natsume blush a little from embarrassment, then turn an almost horrified look in the direction of the Ayakashi. "Hinoe!" he said, cheeks brightening even more. Kaname couldn't help the smirk that formed on his face. The Ayakashi had most likely said something rude or scandalous. Kaname made a mental note to ask Taki to help him pry the exact wording out of the other boy later.

The smirk faded into a grimace as Kaname screwed his eyes shut again. A smell like sweet incense and tobacco coiled under his nose, and he had to fight the urge to vomit. He thought her heard Natsume's voice, but he couldn't bother to pay attention with the combined assault of his pounding head and queasy stomach. Then just like that, the presence was gone, and the feeling of sickness faded.

"Sorry," Natsume said. "Hinoe got really close all of a sudden, I think she might have taken an interest in you."

"S'okay," Tanuma said, unable to decide if this Ayakashi's interest was a good thing or a bad thing. They sat quietly; lunch break would be over soon and they wanted to relax for a little while before their next classes. Then, just before Natsume was about to rouse Taki, Kaname asked, "Hey, Natsume, you mentioned that Hinoe smokes, right? What does it smell like?"

Natsume got a weird look on his face, and said, "Terrible, like sweet incense mixed with tobacco."


	3. Chapter 3: Taki Touru

"Just a little longer, Tanuma," Touru heard behind her as she fumbled with her keys. She glanced back as the brunette buried his face in Natsume's neck with a groan. The three of them had run into a party of passing Ayakashi. While they had not been aggressive, there had been a lot of them – according to the blond boy, about twenty.

"Got it!" she said as the lock to her house finally clicked open. Since it was closest, and had plenty of protective barriers, her and Natsume agreed it would be the best place to go as Tanuma recovered. It worried her that he was still so strongly affected despite having left the Ayakashi behind some time ago; perhaps there were some still hanging around? She would have to ask Natsume to give them the full details once they were all inside.

"C'mon, Tanuma, a few more steps," Natsume encouraged.

Tanuma groaned, "Gonna be sick."

"If you are, then we'll clean it up," Touru said kindly, coming up to his other side and looping one arm around his waist. Between her and Natsume's support they managed to get Tanuma through the gate and into her house without incident – though she could see the effort the poor boy was putting into keeping his lunch down.

Deciding that it would be too much to ask Tanuma to make it all the way to one of the guest bedrooms, Touru directed the boys towards a Western style living room. It was only used when her father was home and entertaining guests; the couch inside would be an adequate place for Tanuma to lay down.

Once the priest's son was settled as comfortably as he could be, Touru took a mental step back. What should she do now? Grab a bucket? Go through her grandfather's notes for the umpteenth time?

Her train of thought was derailed by Natsume asking, "Sorry, Taki, may we borrow your washing machine and a change of clothes? Just a robe would work until these are clean." He pulled at his shirt the same way Touru might pick up used handkerchief.

"Yes, of course, but what's wrong with your clothes?"

Natsume suddenly looked bewildered, as if he hadn't realized that what he saw wasn't obvious to her. She felt a pang of sorrow as understanding dawned on his face like a gray morning; she may know all about what he can see, but she is still unable to share that world with him. Touru wanted nothing more than to ease the burden on his shoulders – on both of her boys' shoulders. She couldn't see without a circle yet, but she could be a cheerful, eager friend.

"Oh! Was it the Ayakashi we passed? Did they do something to us?" She looked down at her own clothes, as if they would miraculously become soiled. "What are we covered with?"

"S'at why I feel sticky?" Tanuma slurred from the couch.

Natsume winced. "Sorry, Tanuma. Yes, it was the Ayakashi. They were having another party, like they always do, and there was a lot of sake involved. A couple of the drunk party-goers managed to spill a whole bottle on us – mostly me and Tanuma, but you have some on your left leg, Taki."

"No wonder Tanuma was still feeling the affects of the Ayakashi! I'm glad it's not anything serious," Touru said. She ran out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll grab some of my father's things, you two can use the bathroom – down the hall, first door on the left – to get changed and washed up."

It took only a few minutes to grab two sets of her father's clothes. He was quite a bit wider than either of the scrawny teens, but there weren't that many options. Touru certainly wasn't going to offer any of her clothes – though the looks on their faces might be worth it.

She took a quick detour to check the kitchen. Thankfully there was enough ingredients to make teriyaki chicken and rice without going to the store. By the time she got to the bathroom the door was closed and the sound of running water could be heard. Faintly, over the noise of the bath, Touru could hear Tanuma apologizing for "inconveniencing" Natsume, the blond meanwhile was apologizing for "dragging" Tanuma into another Ayakashi incident.

Touru rolled her eyes at their collective dorkiness, and knocked on the door. The clothing swap went off without a hitch, and soon the laundry was started. Hopefully by the time they all sat down for dinner she will have managed to make her boys forget that this misadventure was anything short of fun – in the ridiculous "dealing with spirits" kind of way. Tonight, she can spend a little extra time researching how to give Sight to a person with spiritual sensitivity; the sooner she can "cure" Tanuma's headaches and give Natsume someone who can inhabit his world the better.


	4. Chapter 4: Natsume Takashi

There was an annoying buzzing in his ears. Takashi wanted to tell whatever it was to stop, but his voice wasn't working properly. The rest of his body wasn't working properly either, now that he thought about it. His eyes were closed – or he had gone blind – and he was numb all over – or paralyzed. It was hard to tell if he was laying down, standing, sitting, or floating.

"Na… Na...me..." the buzzing became more distinct. It was a voice, a familiar one, though Takashi couldn't place it.

"Na...me! Natsume!"

Oh, the voice was saying his name.

"Natsume! Please, wake up! Natsume!"

Takashi would certainly try, but it was a tall order. His eyelids were each as heavy as Nyanko-sensei, and his head was beginning to pound as he came closer to awareness. The voice was desperate, however, and he refused to leave it sounding that way.

"Please, Natsume!"

He tried to say, "I'm awake," but all that came out of his mouth was a vague croak. He pushed his eyes open halfway – enough to see the whole world spinning in circles – and closed them again. If he was fully conscious he might have been embarrassed at the whimper that escaped.

"Oh, thank heavens!" Tanuma – Takashi was sure that's who the voice was – said. "Come on, Natsume, open your eyes again, please."

Takashi felt a hand on his cheek, the thumb gently stroking the area beneath his left eye. He could never deny Tanuma anything, even if it went against all reason. So with effort, Takashi cracked his eyes open again.

The world didn't spin this time, but it tilted so violently that his hands scrabbled for purchase on the ground. His left was caught in Tanuma's stronger hand, helping to ground him.

"Wh… wha…?" A water bottle was pressed to his lips, and his head lifted a few inches. He had to close his eyes against the vertigo, but he was grateful for the liquid nonetheless. Once his throat was clear, he tried again. "What are you doing here, Tanuma?"

"I should be asking you that," the brunette said. "Sensei came to get me and Taki, saying you were passed out in the woods. Then we get here and you wouldn't wake up! I sent Taki to let the Fujiwara couple know that you were ill and unconscious. I've been trying to wake you up for the past half an hour! Taki should be back soon. What happened?"

They were interrupted by the arrival of Taki and Shigeru, who was as close to panicked as Takashi had ever seen. The three of them managed to help him back to the road, where Shigeru had parked his car. Despite initially wanting to take him to the hospital, the teens managed to talk Shigeru into bringing Takashi back home with the story that he had been stubbornly ignoring a fever – no doubt he would be scolded fiercely once he recovered.

Arriving home was a blur of being bustled into the house, changed into his pajamas, and swaddled into bed. When next he came to full awareness, Takashi was in his room with both Tanuma and Taki hovering over him. Taki had placed his head in her lap, and Tanuma was diligently re-wetting the cloth on his forehead.

"Are you with us, Natsume-kun?" Taki asked.

"Yes, sorry for worrying you."

"You had better also apologize for going off on your own and getting over your head," Tanuma said. "Care to tell us what happened?"

Takashi nodded, then winced as it sent a pulse through his skull. "There's this group of nomadic Ayakashi. They usually pass through here every couple of decades. Last time they were here, Reiko-san took their names. Since they were in the area again, I went to give them back."

"How many?" Taki asked.

"Twelve."

Tanuma frowned. "Natsume, I thought you had said your limit was five to seven."

"Yes."

"That was reckless, Natsume-kun!" Taki scolded. "Do you realize how dangerous that was? Your spiritual energy was depleted so low it's a wonder you regained consciousness at all!"

"Don't you ever do that again," Tanuma added. "At least tell us about your crazy ideas before you carry the out so that we can either talk you out of it or help you."

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Taki said. "You jump in with both feet, but you mean well. I'm sure those Ayakashi were very thankful to have their names back. We were just so scared… I… when you wouldn't wake up, I thought… maybe we were too late."

Takashi smiled. "I can't _not_ say sorry, and I promise I'll try not to do this again."

"That's all we ask," Tanuma said. "Now go to sleep, you have a lot of energy to gain back."

Takashi smiled again as he drifted off into pleasant dreams. He had never imagined that having friends could make him feel so warm. No matter what, he would do what it took to return the immeasurable kindness they had bestowed on him. If that meant learning how to rely on others, then so be it – it was a small price to pay for a priceless treasure.


End file.
